How Often Should a Property Manager Inspect a Rental?

By Alicia Geigel on December 17, 2018

Being a landlord/property manager is not an easy job. There is a great deal of responsibility that comes along with the title, such as filtering through potential tenants, updating amenities, communicating well with tenants, and running a smooth rental business. Along with these responsibilities, there are also more nuanced and overlooked ones, with one of the most important ones being conducting proper inspections of your rental.

While this is an obvious responsibility of landlords and property managers, sometimes its difficult to gauge when exactly to inspect a rental. On one hand, you don’t want to be lackadaisical about your property and neglect any possible damages or rule-breaking activity that may be present, but on the other hand, you don’t want to be a dictator landlord that breathes down the necks of your tenant either. Finding this middle ground between being a pushover landlord and a dictator one isn’t necessarily easy, however, there are a few tips and tricks that can help with this.

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Are you currently a landlord/property manager having trouble conducting regular rental inspections? Not sure when the right time is or how often you should inspect? Wanting to be both responsible yet maintain a good relationship with your tenants? Not to worry, these four tips will give you the guidance that you need regarding your property inspections!

In a blog post from BiggerPockets.com, author Jason Falcon notes the necessary times to inspect your rental stating, “Scheduled inspections should occur before a resident moves in, after six months of residency, each time they renew the lease, and after they move out. You should also inspect the property when situations arise that may cause concern.”

1. Move-In: Right before a tenant moves in, it is important to conduct a rental inspection. This is necessary for a few reasons, with the most important one being that you want to make sure that everything is in check and if there are any issues with the property, whether it be the appliances, certain amenities, etc., that they are well documented. It is also smart to inspect your property prior to your new tenant moving in so you can have a clear idea of what your property is like before anyone moves in, that way no one can fib about something being broken or faulty. Doing a move-in inspection is a good way to ensure that you are the most responsible you can be and are on top of the state of your rental.

2. Six Months Residency: Having a rental inspection at a six-month mark is also important. Six months since the date the tenant moved in is an appropriate time to check-in and see how your tenants are both treating the rental and how your amenities are holding up. In addition to this, it’s also a great time to get an idea if your tenants are going to want to renew their lease or perhaps look elsewhere to live after the lease is up.

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3. Maintenance Needs: One of the biggest responsibilities of a landlord/property manager is having regular maintenance inspections of the rental property. It is important to have these routine checks in order to catch any potential issues that could otherwise become worse if untreated.

Elizabeth Millar of Appfolio writes, “During a routine inspection, landlords often check for things such as the safety and security of the tenants, the overall cleanliness of the property, mold around kitchens and bathrooms, if all appliances are working, and if the heating system is fully operational, among other things.” In addition to this, maintenance checks are also a great way to show your tenants that you care not only about your property, but you also care about their well-being and satisfaction. Happy tenants mean lower turnover rates, which means greater stability and a better reputation for you!

4. Move-Out: Similar to a move-in inspection, a move-out inspection is just what it sounds like, a check of the property when the tenant is moving out. This is done in order to assess the state of the property after the tenant leaves and determine what may need to be improved or fixed before the next tenant arrives. Regarding move-out inspections, Millar suggests, “Your tenants are likely to take better care of the rental units when they know you’ll be doing these inspections.”

Landlords/property managers have a tough job- on one end you have to constantly make efforts to cover yourself and your business and on the other end you have to try your best to maintain and healthy relationship with your tenants while pleasing them at the same time. While the job may not be easy at times, it definitely has its rewards. Taking on the appropriate responsibility of being a landlord/property manager by conducting routine rental inspections not only ensures that you are taking care of your property, but you’re also caring for your tenants and giving them the best experience they can have. As always, good luck!